Problem: 4 pencils cost $4.64. Which equation would help determine the cost of 3 pencils?
Answer: There are several equations that could help determine the cost, each with a slightly different approach. We know the cost of 4 pencils. We want to know the cost of 3 pencils. We can write the numbers of pencils as a proportion: $\dfrac{4}{3}$ We know 4 pencils costs $4.64. We can let $x$ represent the unknown cost of 3 pencils. The proportion of these costs can be expressed as: $\dfrac{\$4.64}{x}$ The cost changes along with the number of pencils purchased, and so the two proportions are equivalent. $\dfrac{4}{3} = \dfrac{\$4.64}{x}$